The Strange Side of 3D Printing

People are strange. Give them a 3D printer and they'll make some pretty strange things.

In the PCMag Labs we've 3D printed all sorts of things: teacups, a Yoda head, the USS Enterprise, the occasional Tardis or two. Basically we've done what any hobbyist who's suddenly found themselves with a Cubify Cube, a Makerbot Replicator, an Afinia H-Series, or any of the sub-$2,000 3D printers would do.

3D printing is great for coming to the rescue of someone who loses a chess piece and wants to print out a replacement rook, and fulfills the design whims of recreational stylists who want a necklace that perfectly matches their outfit. It also holds the hopes of some whose jobs have been outsourced to far-off shores; the maker movement has been hailed as a potential savior for the U.S. economy.

But beyond trinkets and saving the U.S. Treasury, there are also some 3D-printed objects that are outstandingly offbeat. Some can be printed out from Thingiverse at home, while others require the work of 3D printers larger than some New York apartments. Some creations bear the hallmark of the individual artists and artisans who've molded their point of view into plastic. Then there are items that resemble nothing so much as you. Well, you or someone like you since it's possible to be a 3D-printed gummi bear, chocolate, or even get a clone of yourself made.

PCMag looks at some things we haven't (yet) dared to print in our Labs. Yes, there are bongs and sex toys, which, rest assured, we're trying to persuade our HR department are legit. Then there are items that would fit right in, like the bust of Steve Wozniak, which we could put next to any of our early Apple products. But in the interests of bypassing accusations of Apple favoritism by commenters, we're showing you the strangest items others have printed instead.